PALOMAR MOUNTAIN  Of the dozens of campgrounds in San Diego County, only one has made Sunset Magazine’s list of the 42 best campgrounds in California.

The Doane Valley Campground in Palomar Mountain State Park is listed as the 34th best in the state in a special camping issue now on magazine racks.

“This camp is like a slice of the Sierra Nevada — dense conifer forests and grassy meadows at 4,700 feet — in San Diego County. Kids can fish in Doane Pond, and the 200-inch Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory is a scenic drive up the road,” the magazine notes. Palomar has made Sunset’s list of best campgrounds in the state at least twice before.

At far right Daniel Pedersen, 12, points to where he and his father Tim Pedersen, middle, and older brother Thomas Pedersen, 16, saw a deer the evening before while camping here at Doane Valley Campground. They live in Oceanside.
— Charlie Neuman

A spokeswoman for the magazine said the rankings are obviously subjective. She said the special camping issue is always one of the biggest sellers of the year.

Ironically, earlier this decade Palomar was one of 70 California parks scheduled to be closed because of the state’s financial problems. Even before the closure orders were rescinded in June 2012, Palomar’s future had been assured after a nonprofit citizen’s group came forward and raised enough money to cover any deficits the state might realize from the park’s operation.

Rick Barclay, chairman of Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park, was hardly surprised about the shout-out in Sunset.

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“The campsites are shaded and have a lot of atmosphere and variety — not the typical cookie-cutter type — each with a fire ring, standing BBQ and a food locker,” he said.

“And there are plenty of bathrooms and hot showers, which are really important to people. All this makes for a really good camping experience, especially for newbies and people with kids.”

There are 31 campsites at Doane Valley, three of which have accessible features for the disabled. Campsites can be reserved up to six months in advance by visiting ReserveAmerica.com on the web or calling (800) 444-7275. Reservations are recommended for weekends this time of year.

The U.S. Forest Service operates two campground on the mountain as well.